Regional longitudinal bi-ventricular function in pulmonary hypertension: single heart-beat assessment of strain by fast-senc imaging

Purpose Right ventricular (RV) function is the most important determinant of survival in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), thus monitoring of RV function is critical. However, RV regional function assessment is challenging using current MR tagging techniques. Thus, the purpose was to evaluate regional longitudinal ventricular deformation (ELL) acquired by free breathing single heart-beat fast strain encoded imaging (fast-SENC) in relation to global ventricular dysfunction markers and pulmonary hemodynamics in PH patients. Materials and methods 48 subjects [35 PH patients (mean pulmonary arterial pressure mPAP = 40.2±11.8 mmHg) and 13 age and gender matched controls] were examined using short axis fast-SENC MRI and cine imaging. All patients underwent right heart catheterization (RHC). Segmental (15 RV and 16 LV segments), slice (basal, mid and apical), as well as mean (average of segments) peak systolic ELL were quantified for both ventricles and correlated with global function and RHC indices. Patients were stratified into 3 groups based on RV ejection fraction (RVEF).